Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-14
IN CAMP.
The GaZstte Receives q Letter From
the County Prisoners Camp In Re-
gard to Working the Roads.
What an Exp srienced Man Suggests Should
be Dune at this Time TO Bon
fis All Parties.

To the Editor of the Gazette.
On the second day Of November the
honorable Commissioners court of Tar
rant county concluded to establish camp
for the working Of prisoners confined in
the county jail for minor ofenses, the
rather than retain them in jsil at An ex-
pense to the county without the county
receiving one iots Of benefit therefrom,
and appointed Robert J. Rice, Esq, ana
Messrs. j. A., E. Q, and J. B. Stewart
officers to take charge of such prisoners
as might then be confined in the
county jail, locate camp and
begin the grading of the puollc roads
leading to the county seat, Fort Worth.
These gentlemen purchased tents, stoves,
blankets, etc, and established County
Convict Camp No. l" on the south bank
OF the Trinity, one and half miles from
the city. ct point where the Missouri
Pacific Railway crosses that stream, and
began Immediately to grade from the
bridge leading from Denton to Fort
Worth. At the outset, everything being
new, and more in the light Of en- eX-
pertinent than otherwise, progress was
necessarily slow, and yet from a
careful estimate OF the work, l csn safely
say that the actual work in grading alone,
could not have been done with hired labor
for less than S24O0, and 1 speak from ex-
perienCe, having been in the employ of
Burnett & Fitzpatrick, Burkett, Murphy &
Barnes, and other prominent railway con-
| tractors, IS fireman and assistant ergi-
| neer. These gentlemen are now getting
everything in soip-shspe, and il properly
sustained by the Commissioners, will un-
| 0ouo,e0lY be OF great service to Tarrant
| county, not alone in utilizing the prison
ers necessarily thrown upon her, but in
rendering passable the various avenues
| leading into the city from all over the
county. And now, Messrs. Editors, hav-
! ing spoken oil the initiative, would offer
few brief suggestions as to the continu-
ance, not alone of the present camp,
but the enlsrging OF it, or rather extend
| ing it to other roads beside the one lead
| ing to Denton: Would it not be q wise
and judicioAs idea upon the part Of the
Commissioners court now in session to
authorize the hiring of g certain number
OF men by Messers. Z ce and the Stewards
| 10 carry on the work so anspiciouslY be-
gun? Let them pay the same wages as
are allowed the county prisoners, p1r-
chase separate tent for their eccommo-
dation, and am sure that the amount Of
work done by the force SO hired would
more than triple the outlay by the county
l understand there are several thonssDd
dollars in the county treasury TO the
credit Of the bridge and road fund, and no
| better time than The present, now inst the
nucleus has been formed around which to
build upon, to put such force, under the
direction OF the gentlemen aforementioned
4 80 H. o.
be done finally, as il does not stand to
reason that the roads leading into a city
| OF the sz3 OF Fort Worth, from county
as large and prosperous IS Terrant, can
be put in order, mnch less straigtened out
and extended through the workings of O
convict gang alone On the contrary,
workingmen will soon "tumble" to this
racket, and avoid the Fort, as they would
the devil, whereas il it is once known TIA.
toe county will furnish employment to all
deserving objects, scores of honest
workingmen Will flock to the county, and
what money is paid them for work will be
left at the county site. Ore more sug-
gestlon and have done. la case the
commissioners co not feel authorized to
draw upon the bridge and road fund to
the extent indicated, would it not be 8
good as well as just idea upon their part
| to authorize Messrs. r. and S. to hire any
| prisoners whom they may consider good
workers and good men, for o limited
nua Der of dsys-say teE-gfter their term
Of service is over, and pay them
off in wearing apparel? AS it is natursl
to presume that after working on the
county roads few weeks, what the pris-
oner might have would be pretty well
worn out. In any event, it is neither just
nor proper, to turn man loose st this
season Of the year to look for work with
out first providing him with suitable gar
merts in which to apply for employment.
AS to the long term convicts, who may be
here for months, 1t is nothing but right
and proper they should be furnished to-
bacco, according as the officers in charge
OF the camp might think they deserved it
l will close this hastily written letter
by stating that at the present writing,
the county have fac mule teams running
daily hauling gravel on the grade near the
Fair grounds on the Denton road afore-
mentioned, and have six white
snd seven colored prisoners
working on the grade, in the
gravel pit and as cook, and it depends
wholly upon the COMMISSIONER court
whether or not the work begun shall con-
tinue or fall through. R. r. L.